Berthier, Maréchal de France, Holding the Imperial Orb of Charlemagne 1805 - 1824

Editor: This is Jacques-Louis David's "Berthier, Maréchal de France, Holding the Imperial Orb of Charlemagne," a pencil sketch. It seems to depict power, yet the sketch feels fragile. What layers of history and commentary do you see here? Curator: The sketch embodies the paradox of power during Napoleon's reign. David, as propagandist, used his art to legitimize authority. But consider Berthier, a figure elevated by Napoleon, holding the Orb of Charlemagne. It's a visual assertion of inherited power, but also a constructed one. What does it mean to borrow symbols of authority? Editor: So, it's less about innate power and more about the performance of it? Curator: Precisely. David’s sketch reveals the artificiality of these claims and invites us to question the relationship between power, representation, and legitimacy. Editor: I never considered it that way. It makes the sketch much more compelling.